Chance Meeting
by Yukirei
Summary: Prosecutor Mikami left quite an impression on young Mitsurugi.


**Chance Meeting  
**_By Yukirei (a.k.a. Cosmiko Ling)_

**Pairing:** None  
**Characters:** Mitsurugi Reiji (Miles Edgeworth, Gyakuten Saiban/ Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney), Mikami Teru (Death Note)  
**Warning:** Spoilers up to GS1; spoilers up to end of Death Note.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gyakuten Saiban/ Phoenix Wright, Death Note or any of the characters in either series. This is a non-profit fanfiction written by a fan, for the enjoyment of other fans.  
**Summary:** Prosecutor Mikami left quite an impression on young Mitsurugi.  
**A/N:** Death Note and Gyakuten Saiban are two series that I _love_. I just wanted to write something where my favourite prosecutor from GS meets a fellow prosecutor from DN. :D  
Japanese names were used so that I wouldn't need to work around language barrier problems. :P Reiji Mitsurugi = Miles Edgeworth, Gou Karuma = Manfred Von Karma; family names come before first names in Japanese.

* * *

Their first exchange of words had taken place here - on these grey tiled stairs leading from the Dai Kyoto hotel to its gym - seven years ago.

The Dai Kyoto, a private hotel patroned by businessmen and professionals, was where Mitsurugi stayed the first time he returned to his home country since he left as a child of nine. He never mentioned to Karuma for his guardian would hardly be pleased had he known, but he had arranged for their accomodation to be at Dai Kyoto on a vague memory that he and his father had once spent a night there during a visit to the city for a trial. While the Dai Kyoto with its cool white lights and distantly polite service staff didn't share the warmth he remembered of the home he once had in Japan, it was the closest he could inconspicuously get to his childhood memories.

He spent a total of three weeks in Japan. In the day, he was kept busy, studying the legal system and the history of cases of this country. By the time he stepped out of the courthouse library, the skies would be dark and the streets lit in neon. It didn't deter Mitsurugi from visiting the hotel's sports gym for a one hour session every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, from 9:30pm to 10:30pm, in an attempt to build the body mass that Karuma had critically evaluated to be 'severely lacking' in him.

The hotel gym was where he first noticed the other. When exactly their first meeting was, he didn't recall. His mind had simply registered him as a 'familiar face' at the gym at some point. The other, he came to observe, also kept to a strict routine; he was always there before him on Thursdays and Sundays, and left at the same time.

On one Thursday night, a call from behind – a polite "excuse me" – caused Mitsurugi to pause midway up the stairs outside the gym.

Looking over his shoulder, he found the other, clad in the colour of night, attire complete with a full length coat that spoke of the early winter chill, peering up at him through black-framed glasses.

"Please excuse me if I am mistaken," the other spoke as he climbed the steps easily to meet him. "I believe I saw you with Mr. Karuma Gou at the courthouse yesterday afternoon? At the case of State v. Nakamura."

"You might have," Mitsurugi eyed the other warily, considering the situation. Even though he often saw him at the gym, he was still a complete stranger - he didn't actually know anything of his background.

The other returned the appraising gaze, and after a moment, nodded, "You have the right to be cautious. After all, I had forgotten the basic courtesy of introducing oneself before asking for another's identity." He smiled faintly as he offered his hand, "Mikami Teru, public prosecutor."

Mitsurugi raised an eyebrow at the other's claimed occupation, before shaking Mikami's hand, "Mitsurugi Reiji, prosecutor-in-training."

"I hear that Mr. Karuma mentors two gifted prodigies. It is indeed a pleasure to meet one of them here." They began a slow walk towards the hotel lobby. "I was at the trial yesterday, like many other local lawyers, to observe the famous Karuma Gou firsthand. It has been a while since Mr. Karuma had taken up a case in this country; quite a pity, this country needs more prosecutors like him – prosecutors capable of proving criminals guilty."

"I thank you on my teacher's behalf," Mitsurgui paused to dip into a bow. "It is a pity, however, that the criminal will never serve his sentence. I hear that he died of a heart attack in prison last night."

"Yes, that couldn't be helped; it is inevitable that information concerning the name and appearance of the accused would leak out via the media to Kira with a case as famous as this."

Mitsurugi frowned, shaking his head in disdain, "The police could have done a better job in protecting the confidentiality of such information and preventing it from ending up in the hands of someone like Kira."

"It may not be so simple. There have been diverse opnions about Kira and it is difficult to pinpoint and remove Kira supporters from sensitive positions with access to such information - unless they publicly show their support."

"Hmmpf."

"But if I were to venture a guess, I would say that you do not appear to be a supporter of Kira."

"I certainly do not agree with Kira's actions."

An abrupt silence fell. A moment passed before Mikami spoke, his eyes sharp,

"Why so, Mitsurugi-kun?"

"If Kira kills all criminal suspects regardless of the outcome of their trial, what is the purpose of our judicial system? What, then, does the existence of prosecuting and defense attorneys serve?"

Mikami halted in his step, making Mitsurugi stop too. The bright light from the hotel lobby bathed them in a pale white glow.

"You don't seem to understand, Mitsurugi-kun," Mikami said slowly. "What is being a prosecutor to you?"

"W-what?" Mitsurugi drew back. It was the first time someone posed him such a question.

_An atonement for—no!..._ Mitsurugi swiftly pushed aside his first thought, his right hand unconsciously creeping up his left arm to bunch up the fabric at the elbow.

_As a prosecutor, your job is to _always _obtain a guilty verdict. That is the first, most important, and only thing you need to know._

He quickly regained his composure, looking Mikami in the eye. "Being a prosecutor is about obtaining a guilty verdict." _Always_, he added silently as his gaze shifted away.

_Is that all it is?--_

"That isn't all it is."

Mitsurugi's head snapped up and he stared wide-eyed at the prosecutor standing before him.

"Being a prosecutor goes far more than simply obtaining a guilty verdict…" Mikami's fist clenched. "The essence of prosecuting is to get justice for the victims, the bullied weak! To punish the criminal! Ensuring to the best of our abilities that the evil in our society is eradicated!" Breathing heavily from the passion in his speech, Mikami tilted his head to Mitsurugi. "Wouldn't you agree then, that Kira complements us in our chase after the same goal – to exterminate all wrongdoers."

"I…" Mikami's words were ringing in Mitsurugi's ears. He was the first prosecutor he met who wasn't simply in awe of Karuma's perfect record, but apparently after something far bigger.

Dark eyes pinned him. Mikami was watching him expectantly. His mind was still buzzing as he tried to focus on Mikami's question.

"I… I disagree. Kira is still a murderer. And all murderers… _all_ murderers," _himself included,_ "should be punished."

Even as he averted his eyes to the floor, he could feel Mikami's gaze silently boring through him.

"I see." was all Mikami said.

They parted politely upon reaching the hotel lobby.

Having completed his demonstration trial, Karuma departed the country on Saturday, taking Mitsurugi with him. It was another 2 years before Mitsurugi returned to Japan, 7 before he returned to this city, lost in the meaning of being a prosecutor, thirsty for some direction, hoping that he could find what he sought in once more meeting the prosecutor whose words had always stayed with him despite the brevity of their actual meeting all those years ago.

Mitsurugi's visit to the gym at 9.30pm that Sunday turned out futile. It seemed that 7 years were enough to change the habits of even the most disciplined man. He was a little surprised though; the gym visits had seemed not just a routine, more like a _ritual_, for Mikami.

A decision to try the prosecutor's office in that city, carefully hiding his identity to avoid being traced down by a persistent childhood friend, gave him an answer - even if it wasn't the one he sought.

Mikami Teru had been killed during his involvement in a kidnapping case six years ago, the Prosecutor's office informed him regretfully. According to reports at the time, it was revenge by one of those he had prosecuted.

Before continuing on his journey, Mitsurugi laid a flower on the late prosecutor's grave.

* * *

Date started: 3 Jul 2008  
Date completed: 4 Jul 2008  
Last edited: 17 Nov 2008

Art for this fiction has been posted on my LiveJournal writing journal, username cosmiko_ling.


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